1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ice hockey stick handles (also referred to as shafts), and more particularly, to a hockey stick handle that has an asymmetric cross-section over all or part of its length.
2. Description of the Background
The handling of a hockey stick requires a player to hold and control a hockey stick in numerous specific ways with many different combinations of hand placement over the length of the handle, each optimal for the live action situation confronting the player. Consequently, hockey players constantly move their hands along the handle in multiple positions to grip and control the hockey stick handle. This control is generally referred to as “stick handling.” Effective stick handling requires a player to constantly reposition his hands along the handle to control the blade of the hockey stick. As used herein, “stick” refers to the apparatus as a whole, including the handle (or shaft) on which a player's hand(s) is/are placed, and the blade.
On a basic level, certain hand positions are correct and others incorrect. FIG. 1 shows an example. FIG. 1(A) illustrates proper hand placement when skating with one hand on the hockey stick: the other hand is removed from the stick and the active hand is placed atop the stick near the end (as shown) for freedom to skate. FIG. 1(B) shows an unconventional hand placement for a one-handed sick maneuver where the palm is beneath the stick and considerably away from the end of the handle. Hockey sticks typically have a rectangular symmetrical shape such that the top section of the handle is a mirror image of the bottom section of the handle, contributing nothing to a player's tactile feel. In other words, from the feel of the handle alone, a player cannot sense a difference between the top section and the bottom section of an entirely rectangular handle. As a result, it is common to mistake the orientation of the hockey stick, especially during the heat of play with protective ice hockey gloves diminishing a player's tactile feel. FIG. 2 is a cross-section of many prior art hockey stick handles with three sets of exemplary dimensions.
Throughout a hockey game, players must maintain correct hand placement in a wide variety of split-second situations. In each situation, the appropriate hand placement enables the player to impart force and torque on the hockey stick to effect a desired motion, e.g., passing, shooting or maneuvering a hockey puck. FIG. 3 gives several examples of common hand positions on substantially rectangular-shaped handles, including an open hand at FIGS. 3(A-C), a closed hand at FIG. 3(D) and a partially open hand at FIG. 3(E). In competitive situations, the player must quickly change hand placements and grips to react to and outplay his opponent for control of the puck. Thus, between the execution of consecutive skills, a player must release or slide one of his hands, move it to a new position, and re-grip the handle with a strong hold.
An example of this constant hand repositioning is a hockey player who intercepts a puck, carries the puck while charging to goal, and then shoots the puck. In carrying the puck the player typically grabs the hockey stick handle at or near its distal end with one hand for maximum reach, and extends the hockey stick out in front while skating. Once the puck is under control the player pulls the hockey stick toward his body and simultaneously repositions one or both hands, often grabbing the handle with both hands spread along the shaft, and maintains this grip while skating and carrying the puck. Then, when preparing to shoot, the player re-grips the bottom end of the handle and cocks the stick back with both hands. Thus, in the course of executing three consecutive game skills, the player quickly repositions his hands multiple times.
The ability to properly position and quickly reposition hand placement without losing control of the handle requires a player to make subtle adjustments in hand gripping force. A strong gripping force is required to hold and cock the stick, especially for the lower hand. An intermediate gripping force is required to slide a hand along the shaft without releasing the handle entirely. Such rapid grip adjustments are sometimes difficult to execute on conventional handles, which typically have a rectangular, symmetrical shape such that the top section of the handle is a mirror image of the bottom section of the handle. Such geometry, particularly on the bottom section of a handle where a player's fingers wrap around and connect to the handle does not cooperate with a player's hand naturally and provides little or no tactile feedback. In addition, factoring in the effects of fatigue, perspiration and bulky protective gloves, it is easy to see why players sometimes lose a firm grip on ice hockey stick handles and desire more tactile feedback.
The use of hockey protective gloves can frustrate a player's grip on the hockey stick shaft. Although these gloves protect the outside of a player's hand, the layer of material between the shaft and the player's palm and fingers, no matter how tacky, reduces the player's tactile feel for the shaft. To improve grip, players frequently tape the shafts with athletic tape, Tourna Grip™, or similar grip materials. Although these minor adjustments may approximate a grip, it is difficult to build shapes out of the tape that complement finger placement and/or that increase the diameter of the handle to aid a player in using the required gripping force. Athletic tape, the most common add-on by players, has a limited life span before it disassembles and new tape is required. What is needed then is a hockey stick handle having a cross-section that is instantly recognizable by tactile feel through a glove, yet maintains a familiar looking top side geometry, but is more suitable to a hockey player's special demands for stick/puck handling, passing and shooting at high speed and pinpoint accuracy. The cross-section of the disclosure can accommodate hockey-specific hand movements in terms of how and where a player grips the handle, slides and then repositions his hands and executes passing and shooting mechanics, while providing useful tactile feedback. For experienced players that demand a traditional hockey stick visual, the cross-section of the disclosure also satisfies that need. In addition, the cross-section of the disclosure reduces the shaft weight without compromising strength, rigidity, and durability at particular locations along the handle.